Summer doesn’t feel like the season for avalanches, however, Alpine snow can be dangerous at any time of the year. On Sunday 13 June 2021, an avalanche near the Mauvoisin dam in the municipality of Val de Bagnes which contains Verbier, buried someone. The avalanche occurred at 5pm at an altitude of around 3,400 metres, […]
Unusually deadly avalanche season in Switzerland this winter
With the end of Switzerland’s ski season only weeks away, the number of avalanche deaths this season is already unusually high level. The average annual number of people caught in avalanches over the last 20 years is 177. This winter 296 people were affected, a 67% rise. 215 (73%) of the avalanches this season were […]
Residents asked to limit movement after Swiss avalanche risk reaches highest level
On 28 January 2021, the avalanche risk reached level 5, the highest rating, in parts of the Switzerland. The authorities in the canton of Valais have advised residents to limit their movement. WSL, the research institute that monitors avalanche risk in Switzerland, warned on 28 January 2021 that some parts of the Swiss Alps were […]
Off-piste skiing discouraged as Swiss avalanche risk rises
The avalanche risk is currently high in Switzerland, according to WSL, a research institute that monitors avalanche risk in Switzerland. The area stretching from the border with Liechtenstein across to and including much of the Bernese Oberland is at greatest risk. Avalanche risk in this region is at Level 4 anywhere above 1,600m, said WSL. […]
Further heavy snow and rain forecast to hit Switzerland
On 21 January 2018, Meteo News reported that Switzerland is expected to be hit by more heavy snow and rain over the next three days, which will add to the significant snow that has already fallen. The avalanche warning has been raised to 5, the highest level, across much of the Swiss Alps. Further roads […]
Guides are no guarantee of avalanche safety
The avalanche season is now well underway in Switzerland. Until 9 January 2016, there had been only one victim for the season, which officially started on 1 October 2015. Now after the weekend there are five. The average death toll per season is around 25. Last season was worse than normal and claimed 35 lives in Switzerland. The […]
